Integrated telephony and television system

Abstract

A system and method for presenting an incoming telephony call on a display of a television set is disclosed. The method comprises receiving the incoming telephony call, selecting at least one of a plurality of images based at least in part on a caller identification number associated with the incoming telephony call, generating a computer video image to be presented on the display, the computer video image comprising the selected at least one image, and providing the computer video image to the television set.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for presenting an incoming telephony call on a display of a television set, comprising: 
 receiving said incoming telephony call;    selecting at least one of a plurality of images based at least in part on a caller identification number associated with said incoming telephony call;    generating a computer video image to be presented on said display, said computer video image comprising said selected at least one image; and    providing said computer video image to said television set.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising storing said plurality of images in a storage medium.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising downloading said plurality of images from a web services server for storage in a storage medium.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising combining said computer video image with an image generated from video signals received from a video source prior to providing said computer video image to said television set.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising combining said computer video image with an image generated from video signals received from a video source to generate a combined image such that when presented on said display said combined image is unobtrusively presented on said display.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising displaying said combined image on said display.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving a connect signal from a control device.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising establishing an audio channel between a control device and a communications network to connect said incoming telephony call.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising establishing an audio channel between a control device and a telephony network in response to receiving a connect signal from said control device.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising redirecting said incoming telephony call based at least in part on a rule of a plurality of rules stored in a storage medium.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising redirecting said incoming telephony call based at least in part on calendar information of a user stored in a storage medium.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising redirecting said incoming telephony call based at least in part on address book information of said user stored in said storage medium.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising redirecting said incoming telephony call based at least in part on address book information of a user stored in a storage medium.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising downloading said plurality of rules from a web services server via a communications network.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said generating step comprises generating said computer video image to be presented on said display, said computer video image comprising said selected at least one image and information on said incoming telephony call.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said providing step comprises providing said computer video image to said television set for presentation on said display of said television set.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said information on said incoming telephony call comprises information selected from the group consisting of a time stamp and said caller identification information.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one image is selected from the group consisting of a picture of a person, a logo of a company, and a video file.  
     
     
         19 . A system for presenting an incoming telephony call on a display of a television set, comprising: 
 a controller operable to generate a computer video image to be presented on said display, said computer video image comprising at least one of a plurality of images selected based at least in part on a caller identification information associated with said incoming telephony call; and    a video mixer operable to receive said computer video image from said controller, said video mixer further operable to generate a combined image from said computer video image and an image generated from video signals received from a video source, and provide said combined image to said television set.    
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein said controller further comprises a storage medium operable to store said plurality of images.  
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein said controller further comprises a communications adapter operable to download said plurality of images from a web services server via a communications network for storage in said storage medium.  
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 19 , further comprising a wireless adapter operable to receive a connect signal from a control device.  
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein said storage medium is further operable to store a plurality of rules, wherein at least one of said plurality of rules is used to determine a number to redirect said incoming telephony call.  
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , further comprising a communications adapter operable to download said plurality of rules from a web services server via a communications network.  
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein said storage medium is further operable to store a plurality of rules, wherein at least one of said plurality of rules operates in conjunction with calendar information of a user to redirect said incoming telephony call to one of an answering machine, a network based voicemail system, and a telephone number.  
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein said storage medium is further operable to store a plurality of rules, wherein at least one of said plurality of rules operates in conjunction with calendar information of a user to block said incoming telephony call.  
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein said storage medium is further operable to store a plurality of rules, wherein at least one of said plurality of rules operates in conjunction with calendar information of a user to screen said incoming telephony call.  
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein said at least one image is selected from the group consisting of a picture of a person, a logo of a company, and a video file.  
     
     
         29 . A method for presenting an incoming telephony call on a display of a television set, comprising: 
 receiving said incoming telephony call;    determining a caller identification number associated with said incoming telephony call;    selecting at least one image from a plurality of images based at least in part on said caller identification number in response to said caller identification number not being blocked;    generating a computer video image to be presented on said display, said computer video image comprising said selected at least one image; and    providing said computer video image to said television set.    
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising enabling a user to configure a plurality of telephony features and a plurality of rules via a web site.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising storing said plurality of telephony features and said plurality of rules in said web services server.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising downloading said plurality of telephony features and said plurality of rules from said web services server via a communications network.  
     
     
         33 . A method for presenting an incoming telephony call on a display of a television set, comprising: 
 receiving said incoming telephony call;    selecting electronic content based at least in part on a caller identification number associated with said incoming telephony call;    generating a computer video image to be presented on said display, said computer video image comprising said selected electronic content; and    providing said computer video image for presentation on said display of said television set.    
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising storing said electronic content in a storage medium.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein said selected electronic content comprises electronic content selected from the group consisting of an image file and a video file.